Britains best picnic spots

Hardcastle Crags, West Yorkshire

A deep, rocky ravine with tumbling streams and thick woods, the Crags is a great place for a walk and an exciting venue for a picnic. The easiest thing is to take the path down to the stream from the car park, and eat at one of the picnic tables there before you walk. After lunch you can set off to explore the woods and to investigate Gibson Mill, a 19th-century cotton mill in the wood that’s been renovated by the National Trust.

Hardcastle Crags, Midgehole Road, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.

Tower Hill Tea Gardens, Kent

Walk along the seafront from Whitstable towards Tankerton and at the top of a steep slope you will find the Tea Gardens: beautifully kept lawns edged by herbaceous borders. It’s a wonderfully relaxing spot with lovely views across the Thames estuary.

Tower Hill Tea Gardens, Tankerton Slopes, near Whitstable, Kent.

Brownsea Island, Dorset

Take a boat to Brownsea Island, Dorset and you will discover an old haunt of smugglers that is now a beautiful nature reserve. As well as beautiful beaches and peaceful vistas you get to see red squirrels, deer and seabirds diving into the sea and spectacular views of Old Harry Rocks and the Purbeck Hills. A new cliff-top walk has been recently added whilst kids might like to take part in the Smugglers’ Trail to the treasure chest.

Admission £4.40 per adult, £2.00 per child, family £11, family (one adult) £6.50, £6.50 Ferry. Tel 01202 707744 for more information.

Primrose Hill, London

Superb views across the London landmarks, including the odd celebrity. Turn your late evening picnic into an evening out with a short stroll down to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

Performances include ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (July 8 - August 2).

Tower Hill Tea Gardens, Tankerton Slopes, near Whitstable, Kent.

Kelmscott, Gloucestershire

This is a particularly good picnic spot for a really hot day because it’s easy to take a dip in the Thames. A distinctly pastoral setting, an open grassy area with shady trees on one side and the river on the other, it is where William Morris used to go rowing. The banks of the Thames are muddy so bring plenty of towels and perhaps wet shoes or old trainers for the sqeamish.

Kelmscott, Lechlade, Gloucestershire.